Motivating Faculty

Martin E. Ford is Professor Emeritus at George Mason University, U.S., where he served as the Senior Associate Dean for the College of Education and Human Development for over 30 years.

“This innovative, theory-grounded book uses real-life experiments and faculty stories to address a very important topic that baffles many academic administrators. Motivating Faculty is not just essential reading for current and aspiring leaders, it is THE heart of successful academic leadership.”Brett Wright, Dean Emeritus, College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences, Clemson University, USA“Motivating Faculty is an essential resource for higher education administrators, department chairs, and faculty leaders seeking a theory-grounded yet deeply practical roadmap for fostering institutional excellence. Grounded in Motivational Systems Theory (MST) and the Thriving with Social Purpose (TSP) framework, this book moves beyond bureaucratic "management" to offer transformative strategies for leadership and faculty development. By shifting the focus to a "joint responsibility" model—where faculty success is viewed as a collective achievement of the academic unit—Motivating Faculty provides the tools to create a resilient, high-achieving academic culture. It is a vital guide for anyone committed to the "thrive together" philosophy in modern academia.”Andrew Daire, Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, USA“Imagine an academic unit built on teamwork and trusting relationships, with faculty empowered by an uncommonly enriched portfolio of resources and support structures that help elevate productivity, prevent burnout, and ensure that tenure success is a near-universal phenomenon. And then learn how you can achieve these same outcomes using motivation-inspired innovations of the kind experienced and validated by the faculty informants in this book. A powerful theory, compelling experiments, and practical advice about how to make your academic unit a great place to work - it’s all here in Motivating Faculty.”Mark Ginsberg, President, Towson University, USA“Academic administrators, as well as those aspiring to administrative roles in academia, would be well-served by reading Ford’s Motivating Faculty. Faculty members at all ranks would also benefit by gaining an understanding of what optimal relationships with administrators could look like. What is particularly attractive about the book is that it contains detailed descriptions of motivational tactics and strategies, which are not only theory-based, but supported by extensive faculty testimonials and decades of experience and refinement. The principal role of administrators is seen as promoting faculty development and success by avoiding motivational harm and by optimizing motivation. When relationships between administrators and faculty are motivation-enhancing and based on transparency and mutual respect, they ensure a thriving faculty, successful administrators, and overall program success.”Fred Vondracek, Professor Emeritus of Human Development, Penn State University, USA

• 1. Theory-Guided Academic Administration: It Doesn’t Have to Be an Oxymoron 2. Guiding Efforts to Motivate Faculty Using Motivational Systems Theory and the Thriving with Social Purpose Theory of Motivation and Optimal Functioning 3. DE-motivating Faculty: First, Do No Harm 4. Clarify, Justify, Amplify: The Three Pillars of Motivating Faculty, Collectively and Individually 5. Building an Optimal Faculty Workload System 6. Building an Optimal Resource, Recruitment, and Retention System 7. Building an Optimal Faculty Annual Evaluation System 8. Building an Optimal Tenure, Promotion, and Contract Renewal System 9. Building an Optimal Grant Incentive System 10. Building an Optimally Motivating Compensation System 11. Faculty Burnout: A Preventable Motivational Syndrome 12. Some Parting Wisdom about Motivating Faculty in an Era of Scarce Resources